부산대학교 도서관

People use language to interpret works of art. While much academic attention has gone to what art viewers say about what they see, this study focuses on how art viewers construe and convey what they mean. The linguistic theory driving the study suggests that language shapes contexts for interpretation, and that sustained aesthetic engagement invites particular modes of speech. We analyze the language of eight novice adult art viewers-that is, graduate students who have little formal education in visual arts-who are presented with an original color lithograph. Using discourse analysis, we identify four interpretive strategies evident in their speech: contrast, negation, speculation, and narration. The paper concludes with a discussion of each strategy as an educational achievement and point of departure.